Cordelia Perrine Harvey, former First Lady of Wisconsin

Cordelia Harvey, wife of Wisconsin Governor Louis P. Harvey (1820-1862), became, in her widowhood, a remarkable influence on a national, as well as a very personal, level.

As the Sanitary Agent for Wisconsin, Mrs. Harvey visited sick and wounded soldiers in southern hospitals, evaluating conditions and seeking to relieve their suffering in any way she could. Though her charge was to act on behalf of soldiers from Wisconsin, her work regularly exceeded those bounds. The example that she set for care of the men spilled over to improve the lot of hospitalized and convalescing soldiers throughout the Union Army. ______________________________

"Arm in arm with health, she visited day by day every sufferer's cot, doing, it is true, very little, but always taking with her from the outside world fresh air, fresh flowers, and all the hope and comfort she could find in her heart to give them." (A Wisconsin Woman's Picture of President Lincoln by Cordelia A. P. Harvey) ______________________________

Mrs. Harvey was not content to simply visit the men in their camps and hospitals, and to seek discharges for those permanently debilitated. In 1863, certain that the soldiers would more effectively recover close to home and out of the subtropical heat and humidity of the south, she persuaded President Lincoln to establish convalescent hospitals for the soldiers back home in Wisconsin.

Her tireless relief efforts during and after the Civil War earned her the name "The Wisconsin Angel," and a reputation as the state's own Florence Nightingale.

Mary Kababik brings Cordelia Harvey to life....

The program content, written by Kenosha playwright Jim Farris, and further developed by Mary's own research, is based on a wide range of primary and secondary historical materials. Weaving together the "facts of record," including many of Mrs. Harvey's own words, with her extensive experience of first-person, in-character portrayal of noteworthy historical women, Mary offers a unique opportunity to visit with a person from the past. In addition to her formal presentation as Mrs. Harvey, Mary takes questions in-character.

She has presented Cordelia Harvey to private groups (school children, civic organizations, historical societies, adult education groups, etc.) and in public performances held at libraries, local theaters, fundraisers and re-enactment events.

To inquire about a visit with Cordelia Harvey for your group or event, contact Mary at bookings(at)marykababik(dot)com or directly to the Kenosha Civil War Museum at 262.653.4433.

The Kenosha Civil War Museum's Theater Program offers other first-person performances, at the museum or your location. Contact the museum directly for more information.

Note: the opinions expressed on this site are the views of Ms. Kababik alone, as well as those of anyone who may post to the site.